John William Schriener was born November 4, 1856 in Santa Claus, Indiana. He came to Kansas in 1883 and married Annie K. Proebstel in 1884. She was born January 13, 1863. John left Kansas about 1900 with four wagons and a carry-all. They had five boys and three girls and another child was born in Geddes, South Dakota. They had many hardships; hostile Indians gave them trouble but there were some good Indians who helped them. Another child was born at Geddes, South Dakota. At Cheyenne Crossing on the White River, one wagon came loose and floated down stream. It was stopped at the bend in the river and was repaired and ready to go again. John and two of his brothers worked on the railroad and in lumber camps in the Black Hills of South Dakota. John's half-brother joined him there and came to North Dakota with the Schrieners. They got to Valley City in 1901. John and his sons worked in the woods in Minnesota in the winter and in the spring they moved to a farm south of Sanborn where three children were born. Mrs. Schriener passed away on April 22, 1910. In 1917 John had an auction sale and then moved to Missouri where he died February 25, 1930. There are still two boys and four girls living.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 217